Skipping Docks with Frogs

Skipping docks with hollow belly frogs is a highly effective bass fishing technique that can produce explosive topwater strikes. 

Bass are ambush predators that love to lie in wait under docks, and a well-skipped frog can be irresistible to a hungry fish.

The right gear

• Rod: A 7-foot medium-heavy or heavy power, fast action casting rod is ideal for skipping frogs. The power of the rod will help you generate the necessary line speed to skip the frog across the water.
• Reel: A baitcasting reel with a good braking system is essential for skipping frogs. The drag will help you control the frog as it skips across the water and prevent it from skipping out of control.
• Line: Braided line is the best choice for skipping frogs. Braided line has no stretch, which gives you more control over the frog and helps you skip it further.
• Frog: Any hollow belly frog will work for skipping, but some frogs are designed specifically for this technique. These frogs typically have a flatter belly and tend to be a little heavier, which helps them skip more easily.

The skipping technique

• Let out about 10-12 inches of line. This will give you enough line to skip the frog, but not so much that it will tangle.
• Hold the rod tip low to the water. This will help the frog skip across the water instead of diving.
• Make a quick, powerful cast. The key to skipping a frog is to generate enough power to get it across the water.
• Aim for the underside of the dock. The goal is to skip the frog under the dock so that it lands in the shade.

Bass pro Bob Downey loves skipping frogs under docks especially when fishing his favorite grass-laden lakes in the north country. Take some time as he gives a great on the water tutorial on the ins and outs of skipping docks with hollow belly frogs…